A modest space comprising around 60 square meters, the Galerie Romain Rolland, named after the French writer and Nobel laureate who had a great fascination for India, is a buzzing hub of activity overlooking a small lawn and the busy NDSE Ring Road in New Delhi. A significant spot on the artscape of the city notwithstanding its size. Raving to move to its new and bigger habitat at 72 Lodi Estate, the gallery is gearing up for this transition, not foregoing along the way its objectives and principles that of showcasing Indo-French culture through various art forms.
Only 'works' which have 'an exemplary artistic quality' qualify to be presented in the gallery from time to time. Therefore, the uninitiated and underexposed have reason to smile, since the previous accolades of the artist are underweighed vis-à-vis the quality of works proposed to be exhibited. Since AFD is an Indo-French cultural organisation, it only befits the gallery of the Institution to showcase works of art which are influenced/inspired/have taken place in an Indo-French context. Although, works of Indian artists are displayed in the gallery from time to time, the 'French connection' must be starkly perceptible in theme, treatment, subject matter or place of execution of the work/s of art. However, the gallery does present works from time to time, which may or may not have a 'French connection,' purely by virtue of its aesthetic or social or cultural appeal.
Artists of the likes of Amitava Das, Arpana Caur, Christelle Duhaut, Christian Puard, Dattatraya Apte, Dhiraj Choudhury, Fafai, Ganesh Haloi, Hemraj, Kanchan Chander, Sankhajit Jana, K.R. Subbanna, Kavita Nayar, M.K. Puri, Mona Rai, Probir Gupta, S.K. Sahni, Sachin Karne, Sarita Chauhan, Shekhar Kar, Subrata Kundu, Sukhvinder Singh, Tapan Bhowmik, Vanessa Smith, Shankar Mondal, Bhagwan Chavan, V.S. Kulkarni, Durga Kainthola, Goutam Roy, Krishan Ahuja, Suraj Ghei, Pascal Monteil, Madhu Basu, Brigitte Revelli and several others have shown in the gallery at one point or another.
The Galerie Romain Rolland will relocate….in another year. The forthcoming months mark the transition phase of this small, yet important art hub of the town….a movement from the past to the future.
The gallery takes this opportunity to call upon young new blood to show in its space, in conformity with its objective of promoting fresh new forms of art, Indian or French or multicultural or those with a universal appeal…the gallery comes free of cost for freedom of expression…
